---
title: 'Member of Technical Staff (AI Researcher) at Perplexity'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/member-of-technical-staff-ai-researcher-perplexity-san-francisco-m05ptxw86zwn'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-13'
---

# Member of Technical Staff (AI Researcher) at Perplexity

- **Company:** [Perplexity](https://feeny.ai/companies/perplexity)
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $220k–$485k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-08-25
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Perplexity/8fe61c73-0daf-4432-a47d-44714c1ef764/application

**Skills:** Python, PyTorch, Large-scale LLMs, Deep Learning, Post-training techniques, Reinforcement learning, C++, CUDA, LLM training frameworks, Agent systems, Multi-step reasoning, Personalization, Preference learning

> Perplexity is seeking an AI Researchers to advance its AI products by developing and optimizing large-scale LLMs. The role involves post-training techniques, infrastructure development, and collaboration across teams to enhance search and agent experiences.

## Job description

Perplexity is seeking top-tier AI Research Scientists and Engineers to advance our AI products and capabilities. We're building the future of AI-powered search and agent experiences through our Sonar models, Deep Research Agent, Comet Agent, and Search products. Join us in creating SOTA experiences that handle hundreds of millions of queries and continue to scale rapidly.

## Team Structure

Depending on your interests and expertise, you'll work on one of three specialized teams:

1. Core Research Team (Horizontal) Focus on generating and improving base models that power all our products. This team works on foundational model capabilities, post-training techniques, building RL infra and infrastructure that benefits the entire organization.
2. Agent Products Team (Vertical) Concentrate on fine-tuning and optimizing models for our Deep Research Agent and Labs/Canvas products. This team bridges research and product, ensuring our agent capabilities deliver exceptional user experiences.
3. Comet Agent Team (Vertical) Dedicated to developing and enhancing our Comet Agent product. This specialized team focuses on the unique requirements and optimizations needed for Comet's specific use cases.

## Responsibilities

Research & Development

- Post-train SOTA LLMs using the latest supervised and reinforcement learning techniques (SFT/DPO/GRPO)
- Leverage our rich query/answer dataset to scale model performance across Sonar, Deep Research, Comet, and Search products
- Stay current with the latest LLM research, especially in model training, optimization, and personalization techniques
- Implement preference optimization and personalization capabilities to enhance user experience
- Invent in-house improvements and optimizations to enhance SOTA models
- Turn research ideas into algorithms and run experiments to launch new models

Infrastructure & Implementation

- Own full-stack data, training, and evaluation pipelines required for model development
- Build robust and effective training frameworks (on top of Megatron/PyTorch) for post-training LLMs
- Implement necessary infrastructure and components to support cutting-edge model training at scale
- Integrate models seamlessly into our product ecosystem

Collaboration

- Work closely with engineering teams to integrate models into Perplexity's product suite
- Collaborate across teams to ensure cohesive AI experiences throughout our platform
- Partner with product teams to understand user needs and translate them into model improvements

## Qualifications

Required

- Proven experience with large-scale LLMs and Deep Learning systems
- Strong programming skills in Python/PyTorch; versatility is a plus
- Experience with post-training techniques and reinforcement learning
- Self-starter with a willingness to take ownership of tasks
- Passion for tackling challenging problems
- Minimum 2-6 years of experience on relevant projects (depending on seniority level)

Nice-to-have

- PhD in Machine Learning, AI, Systems, or related areas
- Experience in post-training LLMs with SFT/DPO/GRPO
- C++/CUDA programming skills
- Experience building LLM training frameworks
- Academic publications and research impact
- Experience with agent systems and multi-step reasoning
- Background in personalization and preference learning

## About Perplexity

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Perplexity builds an AI-powered answer engine that delivers accurate, real-time answers to any question, serving curious minds and professionals who demand precision and speed.
- **Entity Type**: Private (total funding $1.7B across 16 rounds)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, Andy Konwinski

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: AI-powered search and knowledge retrieval, Software Development
- **Target customers**: B2C (general users), B2B (enterprise API customers), and power users seeking reliable information
- **Mission**: “AI for people who expect more – more accuracy, more agency, more signal, less noise.”

## Products & Services
- **Perplexity AI (Free Tier)**: Real-time conversational search engine that synthesizes web results with citations, accessible via web and mobile app. *Type*: SaaS
- **Perplexity Pro**: Subscription offering enhanced features such as advanced AI models, multimodal search, and increased usage limits. *Type*: SaaS (subscription)
- **Perplexity API Platform**: Enables developers to integrate Perplexity’s search and reasoning capabilities into their own applications. *Type*: API
- **Perplexity Browser Extension**: Brings AI-powered search directly into the browser for quick answers without leaving the page. *Type*: Browser extension

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available in provided sources (prior reports indicate ~$9B valuation as of 2024, but not confirmed in this data set)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $1.7B (16 rounds); annual revenue ~$50M (LinkedIn estimate)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not explicitly listed in provided search results; widely known investors include IVP, NEA, Jeff Bezos, and others (not sourced here)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 11.3% YoY to 1,152 employees; operates in 54 countries; LinkedIn followers grew 131.8% yearly to >1.6M; active hiring across 48+ open roles including AI Research, Engineering, and Go-to-Market teams

## Competitive Advantages
- **Real-time, cited answers**: Unlike traditional chatbots, Perplexity grounds answers in live web results with transparent sources, building trust and accuracy.
- **Multimodal and agentic capabilities**: Continuously pushes frontier research (e.g., query-aware context compression, agents for knowledge work) that differentiates from generic LLM interfaces.
- **Vertical integration from research to product**: In-house AI research team tackles open problems unique to Perplexity’s scale, enabling fast iteration on novel methods.
- **Strong brand and user base**: Rapid consumer adoption with millions of monthly active users and high engagement.

## Strategic Focus
- **Pushing the frontier of search**: Evolving from retrieval services to code generation, agents, and full autonomy in knowledge work.
- **Expanding enterprise and API revenue**: Growing B2B footprint with API platform and enterprise solutions.
- **Global hiring and office expansion**: Offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, Austin, Washington D.C., London, Berlin, and Belgrade, with “4 days in office” hybrid model.
- **Investing in AI research**: Dedicated research division (Perplexity Research) exploring reasoning, agents, and systems to redefine how people navigate the internet.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Environment**: “Thoughtful support” culture with emphasis on craftsmanship, ownership, entrepreneurship, scholarship, and partnership. Hybrid schedule (4 days in-office) based on location.
- **Perks**: Daily catered meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner in office), office snacks, ride home program, commuter benefits, home office reimbursement, fitness classes, gym memberships.
- **Compensation & Benefits**: Competitive salary and equity packages; retirement plans with company match; flexible PTO; holiday shutdown between Christmas and New Year; 12 weeks paid bonding leave; comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
- **Relocation & Visa Support**: Relocation assistance and visa/green card sponsorship for eligible roles. Partners with immigration firm to support the process.
- **Engineering Excellence**: “Technical assessment for relevant roles”; values hands-on contribution, broad skill sets, and merit-based evaluation. Frequent Tech Talks and exposure to greenfield AI research problems.

## Sources
1. [perplexity.ai/hub/careers](https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/careers)
2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/perplexity](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/perplexity)
3. [perplexity.ai](https://www.perplexity.ai/)
4. [linkedin.com/company/perplexity-ai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/perplexity-ai)
5. [research.perplexity.ai](https://research.perplexity.ai/)

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